The Panther's Berry
by XxTwisted0KitsunexX
Summary: Ichigo is being stalked by an old ex wanting to take back what he believes is his. Will anyone be able to save Ichigo from his stalker who is not afraid to kill anyone who gets between him and what is his, or will Ichigo end up in his clutches once again.
1. Chapter 1

**A crash sounded in the silence of the waning sunlight before silence fell again. Moments later, the quiet was broken once more by the sound of a heart wrenching sob. A lean form tugged himself from the wreckage of a demolished black and crimson F-150. He tried to push himself up, only to let out a cry of pain before looking down at his legs. His right eye widened, the left currently unable to open due to the shard of glass that was stuck through it. Both of the male's legs were bent in places they shouldn't be bent and one had a large piece of glass from the windshield in it. Looked like he wasn't going anywhere fast.**

**The heat suddenly intensified around him and he looked up in time to see the truck engine begin to spew flames. Time seemed to slow down as the air around the flames seemed to get sucked inwards before being blown out rapidly in the form of an explosion. The male had time to manage to throw his arms up in front of him before he was blown back, having taken the brunt of the explosion since he couldn't move away fast enough.**

**Then, all he saw was darkness...**

_Beep...beep...beep...beep..._

"How long has he been out?"

_Beep...beep...beep...beep..._

"Two weeks...I dunno how long until he wakes..."

_Beep...beep...beep...beep..._

"I hope it's soon...he's already missed the funeral...the cops think it was..."

It was what? What were those voices talking about? Funeral? Who's funeral? What was going on? Why couldn't he open his eyes? _Beep..._ And what was with that beeping? It was getting annoying, _'Come on eyes...open! Now!'_ There...light...but it's blurry. So much white...and that smell. Smelled like a hospital...

Wait...

Hospital?

'_Oh shit...'_

The accident. Kaien. No...it couldn't be...it wasn't just a dream. Then the funeral...

'_Nooooo...'_ He wanted to sob, he wanted to scream, but nothing came out. The beeping sound grew more rapid and he started to thrash his head back and forth, that being the only thing he could move.

'_Noooo...Kaien...no...'_ Tears started to leak from his eyes. He could faintly feel the rough texture of gauze around the left side of his face and it was growing damp with tears. He didn't care though. Why couldn't this all just be a dream? He wanted to wake up from this nightmare and go to the beach or the park with Kaien. He wanted proof that this wasn't real.

The sound of nurses coming running at the increased beeping of the heart monitor attached to him could be heard. They tried calming him, but it was useless. He just wanted to see Kaien. He wanted out of here. Why couldn't he speak? It was infuriating.

He faintly felt a needle being pushed into his half numb arm and slowly, he was forced to calm from the sedative pushed into his system. No, this wasn't right. He didn't want to calm down, he wanted to know what was going on! He wanted answers damnit!

Sounds were fading, the light he could faintly see from his one good eye was dimming, his world was going black. One final whimper escaped him before he succumbed to the influence of the drug he was given. The last thing he heard was that faint beeping again, slowing back down it a calm pace...

"We had to sedate him. It seems he woke but was having some sort of fit. It could be simple trauma or it could be the idea of what actually happened. Once he wakes again, just to be sure he doesn't make his injuries worse, we'll keep him on a low sedative that will allow him to function normally, but he'll be in a calm state." A young doctor explained, pushing his glasses up on his straight nose as he looked at the family of his current patient. They all looked a little worse for the ware. The father, a tall, broad, strong looking man with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes looked ready to fall over from exhaustion. The two girls, twins most likely, both looked on the verge of tears as they looked at they're elder brother. The doctor couldn't blame them. The poor boy was lucky to be alive at the moment, and as it was, he would be lucky if he walked or spoke again, "You are free to stay if you wish, but I must insist you get some sleep, sir. If you wish, I can have my nurses bring you something to help you rest."

The man looked up at the doctor and nodded solemnly, "Yeah, alright. Girls...you keep an eye on your brother, ok? He'll need us to be strong for him now." He said, looking at his twin daughters. The darker haired girl, Karin, nodded and scrubbed at her eyes, a determined look on her face while her sister, Yuzu, just sniffled and looked back at the prone form of her nii-san on the bed.

The doctor nodded and walked off to get one of his nurses while the uncharacteristically serious father of the three sat on a chair and reached up to run a hand through his son's bright orange hair, "Stay with us son...I can't loose you so soon after losing you mother." He murmured before looking up at the nurse who entered and nodded, accepting the medicine she handed him to help him sleep. He was not looking forward to having to explain what happened when his son woke from his forced sleep.

His eyelids seemed so heavy, but he could hear muffled voices speaking around him. They were quiet, but slowly growing clearer as his mind woke from the drug induced sleep he had been in. He recognized those voices. Renji, Rukia, Shinji, and his sisters. They were talking about him and the accident. Slowly, he started to open his single working eye, the chocolate colored iris rolling around to look for the owners of the voices.

"Shhhh...he's waking up..." Murmured a voice he knew to be Rukia. He heard a bit of shuffling around before everyone came into his line of sight, "Hey Ichigo." She said gently as his vision strengthened slightly allowing all their faces to become clear, "How you feeling?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but when he couldn't make any sound come out, he closed it again with a frown.

"He can't talk. The doctor said when the explosion hit him, a bit of shrapnel damaged his vocal cords." That was Karin, "If he does speak again, it won't be until they fully healed."

"Oh...damn...that sucks, eh, Strawberry?" And that was Renji. The only person who believed he could get away with calling Ichigo that. Damn not being able to speak, he'd rip the red head a new one. For now, a glare would work. Then he remembered the gauze around his face and lifted one arm that felt like led to his face to run his fingers over the rough material.

"You had a bit of glass get lodged in your eye. They managed to get it out, but the doctor thinks it completely ruined your sight and you probably won't be able to see out of that eye again." Yuzu told him, in her soft, ever caring voice.

Great. Half blind, mute, what else could be wrong with him?

"Both of your legs are busted in about three places." Could Shinji read his mind or something?

The teen on the bed heaved a sigh and closed his working eye. After a few moments it flew back open as he thought of something.

Kaien.

Where was Kaien?

He started looking around, past his friends and family as if maybe his boyfriend would pop out and surprise him.

The small group all looked at each other before Rukia sighed and bit her lip, "Uh...Ichigo...Kaien...he...er...he's dead..." She murmured softly.

Ichigo froze at hearing that and turned his working eye to her, his body trembling.

'_No...that can't be right...no...no...no no no no no no! NOOO!'_ Tears started to stream down his face and the hand he had near his head covered his face as sobs shook his shoulders.

The small group looked at him, tears streaming down all the girls' faces as they watched one of the strongest people within their small clique completely break down. Through his mother's death, he had stood strong for his family. Through constant teasing and taunts about his looks and hair color, he had pushed through, brushing off the insults like they were nothing. When he was ridiculed for his sexual preference, he held his head high and kept moving forward. Even when his first boyfriend turned into an abusive, possessive son of a bitch, he moved on and stood strong. Now, as they stood around him, looking down at his mangled body, shoulders quaking with sobs, they saw how fragile he truly was. None of them could find the words to say to console him. None could find the strength to hold him. Not one of them knew what to do.

His life had crashed down around him and there wasn't a thing anyone could do.

"Hey Ichigo." Called the familiar voice of Renji from the doorway to the single patient hospital room.

Thanks to having to stick around for a while, Ichigo had been moved to a semi personal hospital room. Instead of the stark white that other rooms had, this one was shades of blue. The walls were a soft pastel blue, the sheets and blanket wrapped around Ichigo just a few shades darker. The floor and ceiling were still white, but the room looked more like something one could actually be comfortable in. The monitors and such were still around, but they were tucked out of the way until they were actually needed.

At hearing Renji enter, Ichigo looked away from the window he had been looking out of and towards his red-haired friend. He lifted a hand and motioned for him to come over and sit down, his single working eye, the other kept closed since he hated having it open, curious as to what was in the bag his friend held.

Renji chuckled a little at seeing confusion and curiosity in his friend's eye and moved to sit on the chair beside his bed, "I know how much you were getting bored in here, so I got you a few things." He said before reaching in the bag and pulling out an Edgar Allan Poe book. He snickered a little at the way Ichigo's eye lit up at seeing the book and he reached out to snatch it away, "I knew how much you liked that guy's stuff, I dunno why though...he writes creepy shit." Renji grumbled, suppressing a small shudder that made Ichigo grin, his eye twinkling with laughter that couldn't be heard, "Oh quit laughin at me ya ass..." Renji grumbled as he reached in the bag again and pulled out a small hand held game of blackjack, "I figured between this and the book, you wouldn't be as bored." He explained, setting the game on the table while Ichigo flipped through the book.

After a few moments of looking through the book, Ichigo set it to the side and leaned over to pull Renji into a hug, his lips forming the words 'thank you' against the bigger male's shoulder.

"No problem Ichi." Renji muttered, returning the hug. A soft mental frown tugged at his mind, however, at the memory of a note that he had seen on the orangette's door when he went to take care of Ichigo's cat the last time, "Hey...Ichi...whatever happened to that guy you dated a few years ago before movin out here?"

Ichigo pulled back and frowned a bit in thought before his face paled a bit before snatching up the pen and paper he had to communicate with everyone. He flipped to a clean sheet and scrawled out the message, 'Please tell me you aren't talking about Shiro...'

"Was that his name?" Renji asked, frowning a little at the nod before looking at what his friend wrote.

'He was sent to prison for abuse...he only had a year though...I haven't heard from him since.'

Renji sighed and ran a hand through his hair before pulling a note from his pocket, "I think you should read this." He muttered, handing it to the orangette.

Ichigo gulped a little before taking it with a shaking hand and unfolding it.

'Hey there, my sweet little strawberry,

Have you missed me? I've missed you. It was so mean of you to send me to jail then run away and hide from me. You should have known I'd find you sooner or later. Well, I found you. Do me a favor, Berry, don't let me see you with anyone else, kay? Hate to have another episode like the accident. I really didn't mean for you to get hurt that bad. You forgive me, right? It doesn't matter. Just know, I'm watching you, my strawberry, and no one else can have what's mine.

With lots of love,

Snowy.'

When Ichigo finished reading the note, he was shaking so bad that the bed was creaking slightly. He looked up from the note, his head darting this way and that before he shredded the note and, as quickly as his casted legs would allow, dove under the blankets, his form still shaking.

Renji frowned at this display and raked a hand through his hair. Why had he shown Ichigo that note...?


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter probably won't have much Ichigo in it. We're mainly gunna learn about Grimmjow in this one. Also, there's quite a bit of a time jump. I didn't specify how much because I wasn't sure how long broken legs take to heal so...USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, sadly.

Read on!

A shrill ringing dominated the silence of the small apartment. A low annoyed growl followed the ringing sound before the sound of shifting cloth could be heard.

This was the home of Grimmjow JaggerJaques, Police lieutenant extraordinare. To most, his apartment would seem almost baran, but to him it was perfect. Being an orphan, he had no family pictures anywhere. He had never been big on the relationship game, mostly one night stands, so there were no pictures of significant others either. His room held a full size bed that was covered in sheets of white with blue pillowcases and comforter, a deep mahogany dresser stood in one corner, a door to a closet usually stood open against another wall, and beside the bed lay a nightstand that matched the dresser. Clothing was scattered around the room, his uniform getting the only nice resting place on the top of his dresser.

His living room was just as bland. All that area held was a matching couch and chair set with a coffee table set near them to rest food and drinks on. Against a wall that separated the kitchen and living room was a wide screen TV and a few game consoles. Then, there was the kitchen. That was probably the most unlived in looking spot in the whole apartment. The stove looked as if it had never been touched, the fridge held no magnets, there was no dining table, the single man not seeing the need to bother with such a thing. The only thing inside the fridge was a case of beer and a few take-out containers and the only thing in the kitchen that looked used was the microwave and the sink.

It was defiantly the home of a single man.

Again the sound of shrill ringing broke the silence of the home only to be followed by a growl once more. The creak of the bed followed and the ringing was cut off.

"What the fuck do you want?" Grimmjow snapped into his cell phone, a hand resting over his face as he sat on his bed with only his comforter resting over his lap to preserve dignity, "A job? Now? Seriously? Can't this wait a few more hours...I only got home from the last one and get in bed two hours ago!...Damnit Ulquiorra...fine...I'll be there in about half an hour...THERE BETTER BE FUCKIN COFFEE!" The shouted demand was followed instantly by the sound of the phone snapping shut then a clunk as the phone met the nightstand.

"Damnit...least I got a little sleep." Grimmjow grumbled before standing and stretching a bit with a wide yawn that showcased sharper then normal teeth. He felt a few bones pop and crack and groaned slightly before making his way to the bathroom that was joined with his room. He took a quick shower then going through all the other things one would do in the morning in the bathroom before going back to his bedroom. He dug out a pair of boxers and slipped them on, followed by his deep blue uniform pants, then a white wife beater followed by a light blue button up t-shirt. He then pulled on a pair of socks and his black sneakers before grabbing his uniform jacket, gun, and badge then headed out to where his personal car, a sky blue 2010 mustang, sat. Grimmjow climbed into the driver's seat and tossed his jacket and badge to the passenger seat, his gun getting set over with a bit more care before he slumped in his seat and ran a hand through his damp, robin's egg blue locks.

He stared at the roof of his car for a bit before sitting normally and turning on the engine, shifting into reverse, backing out of the driveway, then throwing the car into drive and making his way towards the station at speeds that would normally get one pulled over, though, Grimmjow had a tendancy to test those limits.

Exactly five minutes later, Grimmjow was climbing out of his car and pulling his uniform jacket on as well as his hat, his badge getting attached to the jacket. Once he was sure everything was in place, gun in holster, keys in pocket, car locked, he headed inside to find out what sort of new job he was getting sent on.

As usual, the station was a flurry of work. Phones ringing off the hook, printers practically shooting printed documents out, and fingers clacking over keys. When Grimmjow stepped through the doors, a small male scurried over to him and handed him a cup of coffee before running off again. He scoffed a bit and took a sip of the hot liquid, almost instantly feeling a bit more alert, "Must be a real important case if they're tryin ta butter me up this early." He grumbled to himself before making his way to the captain's office.

"Lemme get this straight. You want me to go undercover and play some kid's bodyguard cuz said kid's crazy ex-boyfriend is coming after him?" Grimmjow grumbled as he stared at his boss.

Captain Ulquiorra Sceifer stared at Grimmjow with inhumanly wide green eyes, not a speck of emotion within their depths, "Yes, Lieutenant, that is just what I told you, albeit a bit more...eloquently." He responded, his voice as devoid as emotion as his eyes.

"And why are you sending me on this? Why not someone else, like Gin?" Grimmjow growled, though at the look Ulquiorra shot him, he stopped questioning, "Fine...where do I meet the kid and how long will this last?" He grumbled, blinking when a file was shoved in his face.

"The job starts as soon as you leave and will end once we know that boy is safe. You will meet him at Karakura Hospital where he is being released from. You will stay near him as much as possible and if that involves moving in with him or having him move in with you, then so be it. All the other information you need is in that file." Ulquiorra told him. Grimmjow nodded and took the file before standing and heading to the door, but he was stopped by his captain's voice, "And Grimmjow. Don't screw this up."

"Tch...like I would." Grimmjow grumbled before leaving the office, opening the file to glance over it for a few moments, "Kurosaki Ichigo...heh...strawberry..." He murmured before leaving the station and heading to the hospital.

"How ya feelin Ichigo? Ya finally get outta here!" Shinji cheered as he walked beside Ichigo.

Ichigo glanced over at his friend, raising a brow at him, "My legs hurt...I can barely talk...and I'm half blind...what do you think?" He rasped. In the time he had been stuck at the hospital his legs had healed up enough to allow him to walk, but due to having been unuseable for so long they were weak and he needed a cane to walk. His vocal cords had also healed, but, due to having been damaged so badly it was still hard for him to talk. The gauze was also gone from his head, giving view to various scars around his left eye from the glass and the fact that the eye itself was glassy and blank.

Shinji just chuckled and hugged an arm around his friend, making him almost fall due to his balance problem. In retaliation, Ichigo smacked the blond's shins with his can, smirking when he was rewarded with a yelp, "Ichi! You're so mean!" He sobbed, but Ichigo wasn't listening. The orangette was too busy watching the sky blue mustang that just pulled up to the curb in front of them and the man who stepped out of the car. Shinji, who noticed his friend's lack of attention, blinked and followed his gaze, whistling low at the sight of the powerfully built, blue-haired man that was looking at a paper in his hands, "Damn...now that's a man..." He murmured into Ichigo's ear, snickering at the fact that he only got a nod in response. He was glad to see that Ichigo wasn't acting depressed anymore since the whole time he was in the hospital, he had been acting as if everything and everyone was against him.

Grimmjow sighed as he pulled up to the hospital and got out of his car, consulting the file in his hands again before grumbling in annoyance and tossing the papers through the open window of his mustang as he turned to look towards the doors to the hospital, "Know him when I see him...that's kinda annoying...damn Ulqui...holy hell..." He grumbled, his cursing of his boss being cute off by the two he saw standing by the door, namely the one leaning heavily on a cane. His impossibly blue eyes ran over the form before him and he smirked a bit to himself, "Know him when I see him..." He repeated before walking over to the pair.

"Oh shit...Ichi...he's comin over here!" Shinji spazzed in Ichigo's ear, tugging the sleeve of his friend's shirt, his eyes never leaving the hunky piece of humanity that was striding over to them like a big cat on the prowl.

Ichigo simply nodded mutely. He felt as if his voice had been stolen from him as the man stopped before them and looked down at him.

"You Kurosaki Ichigo?" Grimmjow rumbled, mentally smirking at the fact that the smaller male's face seemed to turn into a tomato ripe for the picking and his blond friend looked ready to faint.

Ichigo simply nodded in response to the question, not trusting his barely there voice. This man was sex on legs and his voice was almost insta-orgasm. It was taking all Ichigo had to keep himself standing on his shaking legs.

Grimmjow smirked a bit and stuck his hand out to Ichigo, almost purring when he felt the smaller male take it. Ichigo's skin was soft, like a woman's skin almost. No callouses, no rough patches, just smooth and warm, "'M Grimmjow. Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. Lieutenant. Come back to my car with me...got some things to talk to you about that can't be said in public." He said, glancing pointedly at Shinji. His smirk grew when Ichigo simply nodded and followed him as he led the way back to his car. He glanced back at Shinji, "I'll get him home, you can head off." He said to the blond before opening the passenger side door so Ichigo could slide in then headed over to the driver's side, climbed in, threw the car into drive, and drove away.

The ride was quiet for a while before Ichigo looked at Grimmjow, finally finding his voice, "So tell me...why is a Lieutenant picking me up from the hospital?" He asked in his rough voice.

"My captain assigned me to be your personal bodyguard until we manage to find the guy who got you stuck in the hospital." Grimmjow responded, leaning back a bit, "Anything important you can tell me about him?"

"Er...yeah...his full name is Akuma Shirosaki. I know he has a record because about four years ago, he was sent to jail for...spousal abuse. After he got put in jail, I moved here, thinking I could get away from him, but he found me." Ichigo answered, staring down at his lap.

Grimmjow nodded and rested his one arm on the window sill, "That'll make things a bit easier. Now. Next question. Since I have to be around you as much as possible, do you want to stay at my place or at your place or separate unless I'm needed?" He asked, glancing at Ichigo from the corner of his eye.

"Erm...well...I-I got lots of room at my place since my dad bought a small house for me when I moved out." Ichigo murmured, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, "I got like...two guest rooms, both furnished...and I kinda would rather be at my own place after being away from it for so long, you know? I think my pets miss me."

Grimmjow nodded in understanding and smiled a bit, "Then you gotta start givin me some directions. The file had your address but I have no idea where it's at." He said with a small chuckle.

Ichigo flushed a bit but nodded and started giving him directions.

"Well. This is it." Ichigo murmured as Grimmjow pulled into the driveway of a small two story home and shut the car off.

"You live here alone?" The bigger male asked as they both climbed out of the car and he stared up that place.

"Well...I wasn't...until the accident...Kaien lived here with me." Ichigo murmured, his shoulders drooping a bit before he started up the path to the front door, the hand that wasn't on his cane digging in his pocket for his keys.

Grimmjow frowned a little but didn't push it as he started to follow the male. He blinked a bit when he saw Ichigo just standing at the door, his shoulders haunched slightly and moved to stand beside him, "Ichigo...what is it?" He asked, though got his answer in the form of a note shoved in his face.

"He was here again..." Ichigo rasped, fumbling with his keys when Grimmjow took the note to read it. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, breathing a sigh of reliefe when a small pomerainian and two cats ran over to him, "Tensa, Zangetsu, and Kon." He said to Grimmjow, smiling slightly as he knelt down to pull all three animals into his arms, "Zangetsu is the pomeranian, Tensa is the calico, and Kon is the tabby." Ichigo stated pridefully.

Grimmjow chuckled and leaned down to pet Tensa, "They're cute. Come on, lets get out of the doorway." He said, turning to glance outside, his eyes running over every inch of the yard while Ichigo levered himself back up and went inside further. Once the smaller man and his pets were out of the doorway, Grimmjow pushed the door shut and followed him, not bothering to hand over the note since he would need to keep it for evidence.

When everyone was fully inside, he let his eyes roam over the front room, marveling at it's impeccable cleanliness. Sitting in the center of the room was a large sectional sofa of light beige suede where Ichigo was currently sitting with Zangetsu on his lap and Kon at his head on the back of the sofa. The orangette had his feet resting on a glass top coffee table that held a few remotes as well as the male that Ichigo would need to look through. Sitting against the wall, across from the sofa, was an at least 60" television with a blu-ray player and a few game consoles beneath it. To the left of the TV was an open doorway that lead to the obvious dining room that was carpeted like the sitting room in a light tan carpet. To the right of the TV was a slightly smaller doorway that led into a sparkling clean kitchen.

Grimmjow shook his head a bit before glancing at Ichigo, "I'm gunna go check around the house to make sure he isn't in here or anything." He stated, waiting on Ichigo's nod before walking away to do his job.

Ichigo watched him leave chuckling a bit when Tensa followed after him before looking down at the poofy black pom on his lap, "This is gunna be interesting." He murmured, scratching the dog's chin before leaning back and relaxing.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

"N-no...please...dun leave...no..." Came the soft whimpering voice from the master bedroom, accompanied by the creaking of a bed as the inhabitant tossed and turned, caught deep within the realms of the nightmare his subconscious was dealing him. Soon enough, the words faded into soft whimpers and sobs before the man bolted upright with a yelp. He stared wide eyed at the wall opposite of his bed, his chest heaving and his skin covered in a light sheen of sweat. He jumped a bit when the door to his room was pushed open, revealing a tall broad man with blue hair.

"You ok?" He asked, staring at the one upon the bed, a gun in his hands.

"Y-yeah...just a nightmare...'m fine..." The one on the bed muttered before flopping back down, not bothering to cover himself back up, the nakedness of his chest free for any to look upon, "You dun gotta barge in my room with that gun, Grimmjow..." He sighed, looking at the silver weapon out of the corner of his good eye, "Not like 'm bein attacked or anythin..."

The man in the doorway, Grimmjow, shrugged and stuck the projectile weapon in the back of his pants before stretching a bit, "Can never be to careful...I'm a cop after all and I'm supposed ta be makin sure nothin happens ta ya." He said, keeping his eyes trained on the other male's face, "With this Shiro guy around, you ain't exactly safe, Ichigo."

Ichigo sighed and tugged his blanket back up, Kon and Zangetsu hopping back up onto his bed and snuggling up to him, "He ain't gunna kill me or nothin...he just wants me as his..." He muttered, turning his back on the cop and closing his eyes, good and ready to go back to sleep.

Grimmjow sighed a bit and shook his head before heading back to the guest room he had been staying in the whole time he's been here.

After two weeks, nothing more has happened to Ichigo, save for the random notes taped to the door once in a while, sometimes with flowers or such other things that the young orangette attempted to demolish before Grimmjow intervened, explaining that the items were needed as evidence until this problem was taken care of. After being told that, Ichigo stopped trying to ruin them and just let Grimmjow take care of them after that.

It was obvious that the orangette was at the end of the rope, though. Each day he seemed to look worse and worse. Nightmares plagued his nights, an overactive imagination coupled with the notes haunted his days. Bags were forming under the young man's eyes and his normally healthy tan complexion was pale and making him look almost dead. The only sign anyone could see of life in the young man was the spark that showed in his good eye.

Grimmjow lived day to day to try and keep that spark alive in the orangette's eye. He had a feeling deep in his heart that this man was probably quite the firecracker before this Shiro character had come along and for some reason, he wanted nothing more then to see that firecracker spark off once again.

"Any news, Szayel?" Grimmjow asked into his phone as he watched Ichigo play with his pets in the yard, smiling a bit to himself at how much the younger man treated those animals as if they were his children.

"No, sorry...nothing yet Lieutenant...How's the boy faring?" Came the reply from the station's best in forensics.

"Nightmares are still causing him to get barely any sleep and he's got one hell of on overactive imagination...I swear...he was ready to hyperventilate with that last note." The blue haired man said with a sigh as he turned away from the door and walked towards the kitchen, not seeing the figure hiding in a corner of the yard.

"Hmmm...did you read it? It was rather...worrisome...just don't take your eyes off of him." Szayel murmured, the clacking of computer keys audible over the phone.

"Yeah...I won-" He started but was cut off by a yelp from the yard followed by the barking of Zangetsu, "Fuck! Gotta go Szayel!" He snapped, not waiting for a reply before snapping the phone shut and bolting to the backdoor in time to see Ichigo being carried off on the shoulder of someone. Grimmjow growled and pushed the door open with one hand, grabbing his gun with the other, "Freeze!" He bellowed.

The man holding Ichigo just peeked over his shoulder before vanishing into the waning daylight. Grimmjow instantly bolted after him, vaulting over the fence of the yard into the field behind Ichigo's house. He glanced left then right, before bolting off to his car.

He was so fucked.

Bleary chocolate colored eyes blinked open as a groan fell from full tan lips.

"Ah good...you're finally awake!"

"Wh-wha'...where am I...?" Ichigo groaned as he tried to lift his hands to his eyes, only to find them bound behind his back.

"I told you I'd get you. You should know I never lie." Purred a voice Ichigo had hoped he'd never hear again.

A light flickered to life, bathing the room Ichigo was in with a soft white glow, allowing the orangette to look around and take in his surroundings. A concrete floor, blank concrete walls, a single heavy, metal door, and what looked like a mirror against one wall. Ichigo was currently on the only piece of furniture in the room, a simple cot.

"Sh-Shiro...Let me go!" Ichigo snapped, struggling against the ropes that held his hands behind his back and his legs held together.

"Awww...you remembered me~ I'm touched...but I'm afraid I can't do that, my sweet little strawberry. You see...people are trying to keep us apart and I can't have that." The unseen man purred sweetly as he watched the orangette struggle, "Struggling will do you no good, Ichi-chan. So just sit tight while I get some things done and then I will come be with you like we should be."

"No! You sick bastard! Lemme go! I don't wanna be with you!" Ichigo screeched, struggling more and ignoring the rope burns he was getting for his efforts.

"Awww...that hurts Ichi-chan...all I ever wanted to do was love you and have you love me back...but you put me in jail...now I guess I just will have to keep you locked away." The voice said before there was a click and silence filled the room.

"Shiro...SHIRO! Let me go!" Ichigo bellowed but was only answered by silence. He whined softly and curled as much as his bindings would let him. What had he done in life to deserve this?

The next time Ichigo woke, having not even realized he had fallen asleep, it was to a cold hand running over the scars around his unseeing eye. He instantly jerked back, only to hit his head on the wall behind him. He hissed slightly at the throbbing pain and slowly opened his good eye to look up at the one man he thought he'd never have to deal with again.

"Aww...Ichi-chan...don't go hurting yourself like that." The man cooed as he moved a hand to the back of Ichigo's head, petting the hair there.

Ichigo simply glared up at the man, taking in everything he hated. Snowy white hair that was a bit longer now then it was back then, almost crazed golden eyes, a wide grin that showed off perfectly white teeth, ungodly pale skin, made even paler by the dark clothes the man wore. Ichigo hissed a bit and jerked his head away from the fingers on the back of his head, "Don't touch me..." He growled lowly.

The man above him tsked lightly and grasped Ichigo's hair, lifting him into a seated position, ignoring the soft whines of pain coming from his captive. He leaned in close to Ichigo's face and licked up the left side, his tongue rolling over the scars, "You better listen to me Ichi-chan...wouldn't wanna get hurt again now, would you?" He said dangerously as Ichigo whimpered softly before shaking his head as much as possible. The man grinned and let go of the orangette's hair, letting him slump back on the bed, "Good boy. Hmm...how to play first..." He murmured, tapping his chin thoughtfully and beginning to pace back and forth in front of the cot, "Oh I know!" He said, stopping and grinning, "We'll play who can last longer...don't you love that game Ichi-chan?" He purred, scowling when the orangette shook his head, "Don't lie...I know you do." He growled before pulling out a knife and shredding Ichigo's clothes, not caring that he nicked the male's skin a few times, "You love it...I know you do..."

Ichigo whimpered and curled slightly when his tormenter backed away to pull off his own clothes. He couldn't help but watch since even though he utterly despised this man, he couldn't deny the fact that he still looked good.

The man smirked when he finished and looked at his captive, "Mmmm...still like what you see Ichi-chan?" He purred, chuckling when Ichigo shook his head, "Don't lie to yourself pet." He stated coolly before stalking forward. He grabbed the smaller male's legs and untied the rope that held them together before securing them to the posts at the foot of the bed. He then grabbed Ichigo's arms and after untiing the rope there, he maneuvered them, but not without some fight from Ichigo, so that he could retie them to the head of the bed, forcing Ichigo to be spread out on the bed, "Perfect..." He purred as he crawled over the male and looked down into his eyes, "Ready to start?"

"Go to hell!" Ichigo snapped, though instantly regretted his words when the male above him smacked him, making him whine softly.

"Don't yell at me!" He growled before grabbing Ichigo's hips and pressing his already hardened length at the smaller male's puckered entrance.

Ichigo tensed and widened his eyes before starting to try and squirm free, "No...please...don't..." He whimpered before letting out a scream when the man above him shoved himself inside, no preparation and no lube.

"Mmmmm...so nice...I've missed this..." The white-haired male moaned as a shudder ran through him. He leaned down over Ichigo and nibbled on his shoulder, "The game starts now." He whispered before starting to move in and out of the smaller male, relishing in the yelps and cries of his captive. It was music to his ears.

"Calm down Grimmjow. We'll find him." A pink haired man stated calmly as he watched the blue-haired lieutenant pace and grumble. He thought is was odd how much Grimmjow was worrying for this Kurosaki Ichigo. Never had he seen his superior and friend get so worked up over a job.

"Calm down...CALM DOWN! Find him damnit!" Grimmjow snapped, stopping in his pacing to glare at the bespectacled male.

"Why ya so worked up ova this kid, GrimmKitty?" Drawled a tall, thin, dark haired male as he polished his gun and chewed on a toothpick, "'s not like ya man..."

Grimmjow growled and glared at the then male, running a hand through his hair, "I dunno...ok...it's just...somethin about him...I feel as if I need to help him...just shut up." He grumbled as he looked back at the pink haired male.

"Tell me everything Kurosaki told you about this Shiro character again, Grimmjow." He said as his fingers skimmed over the keys of his computer.

Grimmjow growled and scrubbed a hand over his face before starting to go into the story again but was stopped when the pink haired man let out a sound of triumph, "What?" He said, instantly at the man's shoulder.

"Seems this Shiro is quite the problematic child. Take a look. He's got a record longer then Nnoitra's list of phone numbers."

Grimmjow blinked and looked over the list, his skin going paler and paler the more he read, "Holy hell...Szayel...find him...please..."

The pink haired male, Szayel, blinked at the tone change and looked at Grimmjow, "I will Grimm. I have my best men working on it. We'll find him."

Grimmjow just nodded and moved to sit down.

The next time Ichigo woke, he felt as if he had been dropped off the empire state building then run over by about five trains and a stampede. He was now laying on his stomach, blood trailing from his ass and back. He had been moved to a new room, the bed a bit softer in this one, but he was as trapped as he had been before. His left ankle was shackled to the bed and his arms were bound in shackles that had a chain long enough to allow him to function almost normally, just not fight back. Even if he had been able to get away, he wouldn't have been able to move. After the first session, his captor just kept coming back for more and more. By now his lower half felt almost numb due to the constant abuse. Carved upon his back were the words 'Property of Shirosaki', leaving his flesh swollen and angry looking, endless rivulets of blood trailing from the crudely carved letters. Ichigo wished nothing more then to be dead at this moment.

When the door clicked open, Ichigo jolted up, only to fall back down with a groan of pain, ignoring the tsking coming from the door as he tried to find the strength in his limbs to push himself up a bit.

"Now, now Ichi-chan. No need to get up on my account." Shiro drawled as he slunk over to the bed and ran his hand through Ichigo's sunset locks, "Such a pretty pet...you are so much prettier with all this blood and cum all over you. It makes you look almost exotic~" He purred, leaning down to kiss Ichigo's forehead before crawling onto the bed with him, his finger tracing the still tender carvings upon his pet's back, smirking at the hiss it drew from the smaller male, "So pretty..." He whispered before pulling Ichigo into a hug and starting to drift off.

A/N: I'm so evil to poor Ichi-berry...D: How could I do such a thing?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I warn you now...there's gunna be some jumping around in this chapter.

Ichigo shivered lightly as he sat curled in Shiro's lap. He wanted nothing more then to get up and away from that man, but the first, and last, time he tried, he had almost gotten his leg broken. He was not about to have that happen again, not after having them finally healed not so long ago. A small flinch made the young man jump when Shiro gently started to stroke his side.

"Aww...Dun act so scared, Ichi-chan. I ain't gunna hurt ya no more. As long as you dun try 'n get away you'll be safe." The white-haired man cooed, moving his hand to stroke the orange locks against his chest, "Just be a good boy, ok?" He hummed, smirking when he felt the smaller male nod against him.

_'Please...someone...get me outta here...'_ Ichigo thought as he closed his eyes and bit his lip.

Grimmjow roared in fury and threw a cup of pencils at the wall, rage making his normally clear blue eyes cold as ice, "It's been almost two months, Nnoitra! I thought you were the fucking best at finding people!" He bellowed at the lanky man that stood before him.

"Chill out, Grimmy. I'll find that kid. It's just a bit harder then I suspected 's all." The tall male stated with a nonchalant shrug.

Grimmjow growled and clenched his fists to keep himself from strangling the man. No matter how mad he was, he knew if there was any chance of finding Ichigo, Nnoitra Jigura would be the man to do it, "What-fucking-ever...just get your skinny ass out there and find him!" He snapped as he sat down at his desk and ran his hands through his hair. What had that young man done to him?

"Grimmy! I got some good news for ya, ol' buddy, ol' pal!" Nnoitra drawled into his phone as he slouched in the seat of his non-descript black F-150 and plucked his cigarette from his lips to knock some ash out the partially open window.

"You found them?" Came the staticy reply of the lieutenant.

"I might have." The lanky man drawled, placing his cancer stick back in his mouth and taking a long pull, "Corner of 53rd and North Russet. Old three story house. Crappy front yard and peeling paint on the porch. No idea why he picked this place but I j'st saw a pale guy with white hair and freaky eyes walk inside. I can't see inside though cuz all the curtains are closed."

"Fucking finally! I'll let the chief know. Stay there Nnoitra! And don't do anything stupid!" Grimmjow snapped before ending the call.

Nnoitra snickered and made himself comfy to wait while puffing away on his cigarette.

Grimmjow slammed the phone back down on his desk before jumping to his feet and nearly running to Ulquiorra's office, "Oi! Nnoitra found him! I'm takin Yami and Di-Roy and a few others' to get this ass." He said before turning on his heal to grab the mentioned people and get them on the way to the place Nnoitra described. He was almost scared to see what sorta shape Ichigo was in.

Ulquiorra blinked after him but just shrugged and figured he'd let the blue-haired man handle things this time.

"They still in there Nnoitra?" Grimmjow asked quietly from where he sat in the passenger seat of the man's truck and watched the house. He glanced at Nnoitra for a moment to see the taller man nod before he smirked and shifted to exit the vehicle, "Lets get this shit done and get that kid outta there and that fucker behind bars, yeah?" He said with a feral grin.

Nnoitra flashed the man a wide piano tooth grin before stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray and grabbed his gun from the back, "Lets do this." Was all he said before they both got out.

With a bit of silent communication, the group Grimmjow gathered fanned out around the house before Grimmjow and Nnoitra took up the spot outside the door.

"Akuma Shirosaki! We know your in there! Come out with your hands up!" Grimmjow bellowed, not even needing a bullhorn.

Inside the house, Shiro snarled and looked down at Ichigo, his Ichigo, who was looking at the door with an expression akin to hope. The pale man hit Ichigo who let out a small, surprised yelp before looking up at Shiro, "Get yer ass in the room." The man hissed at him.

Ichigo gulped before scrambling to his feet and up the stairs to the room. The room he had been sent to wasn't much. It was small, almost more like a closet. There was no furniture or anything in the room, just a single naked bulb that Ichigo didn't even bother turning on as he moved to curl in the corner, shaking and sniffling.

Meanwhile, Shiro made his way over towards the door and pulled back the curtain slightly to glance outside, a frown tugging the corners of his mouth downwards, "Damnit..." He hissed as he took in the amount of officers outside, including the blue haired adonis and the black haired giant standing right outside the gate. He watched the blue-haired man open his mouth again, his voice booming through the door easily.

"You have until the count of ten Shirosaki!" Grimmjow bellowed before starting to count. Beside him, Nnoitra motioned towards Yami, another behemoth of a man, to start slowly moving for the door.

Shiro saw this and curled his lip in disgust. Either go out willingly and get his ass sent back to prison, losing Ichigo in the process again, or stay inside, get the shit beat out of him and still go to prison and loose Ichigo. He sighed and glanced up at the stairs, curling his lip in annoyance, "You'll always be mine, pet. I'll get you back." He muttered before unlocking the door and stepping outside when Grimmjow reached eight.

As soon as he exited the house, Grimmjow stopped his count and instantly there were abought 30 guns trained right on him. He rolled his eyes a bit and glared at Grimmjow as Di-Roy, a rather small man that followed Grimmjow around as if the man was a king, slung around behind Shiro rambling off his rights as he cuffed him then led him over to one of the cruisers that currently littered the streets.

As soon as Di-Roy left with Shiro, Grimmjow bolted for the house and started looking for Ichigo. Nnoitra watched him go before heading for his truck to get another cigarette. He knew his friend could handle that part and the rest of the officers were taking care of Shirosaki. Nnoitra had a feeling that the kid, Ichigo, had wormed his way right into Grimmjow's heart and wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

It took Grimmjow a little bit, but when he found Ichigo, he felt his heart sink. The boy was thin, pale, and sickly looking. There were bruises, both fading and almost fresh, littering his skin and his cheeks looked almost permanently tear stained. When Ichigo looked up at him, though, he saw a light in that single working eye that brightened the tiny room. He knew Ichigo would get over this, there was still fire in the young man's soul.

"G-Grimmjow..." Ichigo murmured as he slowly pushed himself up, one hand clinging to the too big pants that were barely staying on his slim hips, "Y-you guys found me..." He whispered, his eyes beginning to water with a fresh set of tears, "I-I was so scared..." He sobbed after a moment, flinging himself onto Grimmjow and starting to shake with sobs.

Grimmjow frowned a bit as his heart clenched, "Shhh...it's ok...I gotcha now." He rumbled softly, wrapping his arms around the boy and frowning at the feel of scars under his hands. He shifted a bit to look down at Ichigo's back and froze at the words he saw carved there. He growled lowly before picking Ichigo up and storming from the house.

Once outside, he thrust Ichigo into Nnoitra's arms before striding over to where Shiro was being put in a cruiser. He pushed the other officers out of the way before grabbing the man's shirt in one fist, his free fist meeting Shiro's face with a sickening thud. Grimmjow managed to get in a few more good hits before Yami managed to pull him off of the man in custody, muttering in his ear how he could get in trouble for this. He growled lowly and glared at the white-haired man, baring his abnormally sharp teeth.

"You better fuckin hope you git ta stay in prison for the resta yer god-damned life...cuz if you don't...I'll fuckin kill ya...laws be damned." He hissed at the man before going back over to where Nnoitra and Ichigo were. He easily scooped the smaller male up and looked at Nnoitra, "Make sure he gets where he needs to be...I'm gunna take care of this guy." He said simply before making his way towards his own cruiser.

After taking Ichigo to the hospital to get a quick check up to make sure he didn't need extended hospital stay, which he didn't, Grimmjow took him back home to Ichigo's house. He took him inside and stood calmly in the living room while Ichigo went to get himself cleaned up and dressed in clothes that would fit him a bit better. When the smaller man came back in Grimmjow's sight, he had to admit, even after his time with Shiro, he still looked good, even better now that he was cleaned up.

"Um...you want anything to eat?" Ichigo asked sheepisly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ya dun gotta make nuthin. I wanna take you out for a good dinner. Whattaya say?" Grimmjow asked as he stepped closer.

Ichigo blinked in surprise but smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah, ok." He said softly before leaning down to pet Zangetsu who hadn't left him alone since the moment he stepped back inside, "You gunna be ok for a bit longer, Zan? Take care of Kon and Tensa, ok? I'll be back soon." He said softly to the dog who barked in response as Ichigo stood and moved to put his shoes on, "Ok, I'm ready." He said softly, happy to be able to go outside again.

Grimmjow chuckled a bit and nodded before following after Ichigo. He watched as the younger male locked up the house and looked up at it with a faint smile, "I'm glad to be home...I'm also glad to know I'll be a bit safer now...Grimmjow, thanks for everything." He said, turning to look at the bigger man, "I mean it."

Grimmjow watched him quietly before stepping forward and leaning down to catch the smaller male's lips in a quick kiss, "No problem...Berry." He murmured softly, smiling at the faint blush he received, "Now, lets go eat. I'm sure yer starvin." He stated before striding off towards his cruiser, glancing back and smirking at seeing Ichigo was hot on his heels.

Things were defiantly looking up for them both.

A/N: And there ya have it! There will be an epilogue which will have the scene from the drawing I did. It will take place a bit after this and I'm defiantly gunna do a sequel to this one.

Drawing I was talking about: http :/ nightshade-hedgehog. /gallery /2225616#/d4atau2 (just take out the spaces)


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue

Ichigo laughed softly to himself as he watched Renji get thrown in the pull by Rukia and Shinji. He couldn't be happier right now. It's been a month since he got away from Shiro and everything was back to the way it had been before. The gang was currently at Ichigo's house having a party for Rukia and Renji's anniversary.

Ichigo let his eyes roam over the crowd in his yard. Renji in the pool, Rukia and Shinji laughing at him, Ichigo's father, Isshin, manning the grill, Yuzu and Karin sitting at the one edge of the pool chatting, Orihime and Tatsuki were sitting under the shade of an umbrella also talking while Ishida, who was holding Orihime's hand, listened, Chad was over by the grill with his father, and finally himself, sitting in a lawn chair with a bottle of beer in one hand.

Despite this being a poll party, ever since what happened a month ago, Ichigo almost always had a shirt on. He was very self conscious about the scars upon his back and the only person who knew about them was Grimmjow. Speaking of Grimmjow, Ichigo was curious as to where the man was. He frowned a bit and finished off his drink before standing and moving to grab something to munch on, not seeing Renji come up on his blind side.

Ichigo knew that his friends wondered why he refused to take off his shirt and he knew they had a habit of trying to get it off him, though no one had succeeded thus far since Ichigo was always wary. He had figured, though, that since this was a party, no one would try to remove his shirt, so he had his guard dropped.

Oh how wrong he was.

Right as he reached for some chips, Renji grabbed the hem of the white wife beater he had on and quickly tugged it away, unbalancing Ichigo and making him stumble back. Instantly the sounds of the party vanished and all eyes were on Ichigo, and the words carved on his back that stood out plain as day against his tan skin.

Ichigo froze.

His eyes widened and he started to shake before he turned on his heal and bolted into the house, vanishing from view, not even noticing that he had brushed past Grimmjow on the way.

Grimmjow frowned a bit and looked after Ichigo before turning his eyes on the party goers in the yard. He took in the shocked faces and Renji holding Ichigo's shirt in one hand and after quickly putting two and two together, he realized what had happened. He purposefully strode forward, grabbed the shirt from Renji's hand, knocked the red-head back in the pool, then stalked back into the house.

As soon as Grimmjow was out of sight everyone turned to Renji who just shrugged and mouthed, 'I didn't know!'

Back inside the house, Grimmjow found Ichigo in the bathroom, eyes rimmed red and shining with tears as he clawed at his back, trying to erase the accursed words. The older male grabbed the smaller's wrists before pulling him into a tight hug against his chest and slowly rocking him back and both, shushing him.

"Shhhh...it's ok. They didn't know. He didn't mean anything by taking your shirt." He rumbled softly as Ichigo sobbed into his chest.

After a few moments the sobs quieted and he tilted his head up to look at Grimmjow, sniffling a bit as tears still leaked from his eyes. Grimmjow gave him a soft look as he reached up with one hand to brush the tears away, "Stop crying now. I got something for you." He said softly.

Ichigo blinked and stepped back, rubbing his arm over his face, "Y-you did?" He asked, his voice cracking a little from crying.

Grimmjow nodded and reached into his pocket before displaying a necklace to Ichigo. Hanging from a thin silver chain was a blue-black feline paw that seemed to be made of deep blue-black gems and cubic zirconia for the claws. Grasped in the paw was a strawberry made up of bright red gems for the berry while light green gems made up the stem, "Ya see what this is, Berry?"

"Well duh...I ain't completely blind. It's a panther paw holding a strawberry." Ichigo responded wiping at his eyes again and sniffing a bit.

"Wrong." Grimmjow stated as he stepped closer to Ichigo and wrapped the chain around his neck, clasping it in the back.

Ichigo blinked and waited until Grimmjow was done before looking up at him, "Huh?"

Grimmjow leaned down a little and brushed his lips over Ichigo's for a second, his arms going around the smaller male once again, "It's me holdin you forever, and never lettin go." He said softly.

Ichigo blinked again, completely at a loss for words as he stared up into Grimmjow's eyes, his own beginning to water once again, "Y-you mean that, Grimmjow?" He asked softly once he found his voice again.

Grimmjow simply nodded and nuzzled against Ichigo's cheek, "I'll protect ya as long as ya need protectin, Berry. I'll always be here fer ya when ya need me. Whatever ya want, whatever ya need, say the word and I'll go ta the ends of the earth ta git it fer ya." He murmured softly before sighing, "Ya mean the world ta me, Ichi, and I always wanna be there ta make ya smile, ta make ya laugh when yer feelin down. I al-" He started but was cut off when Ichigo put a finger to his lips, a watery smile curling his own.

"Ya talk to much, Grimm. I hear ya loud and clear." He murmured before leaning up and replacing his finger on Grimmjow's lips with his own lips, kissing him soundly before pulling back a bit, "I want ya to be around for me, Grimm, but fer now...I have to get back to the party I'm hosting."

Grimmjow chuckled and nodded before moving to grab some bandages, "First, lets patch yer back up, yeah?" He asked softly, smiling when Ichigo nodded and turned to let him fix up his back. His smile widened even more when he saw that Ichigo's scratching had managed to obscure the words, rendering them unreadable. He shook his head but cleaned the wounds and wrapped them before pulling Ichigo's shirt back over his head and leading him back outside.

The quiet chatter in the yard died when Ichigo came back out. All eyes turned to him and took in his expression. It was easy to tell that he had been crying, but now he was wearing a soft smile and his hand was linked with Grimmjow's, so they figured things would be ok.

Renji chewed his lip a bit before walking up to Ichigo, stopping a few feet in front of him, "Look...Ichigo...I'm sorry fer what I did...we were j'st-" He started but Ichigo cut him off.

"I get it. Ya wanted to know why I was hidin...well...now ya know. I'm sorry I freaked out. I'm ok now though...so lets get this party swingin, yeah?" He asked, looking up at his long time friend as his free hand played with the necklace around his neck.

"Yeah...hey...where'd ya get that?" Renji asked curiously, stepping forward to look at the charm.

Ichigo just smiled and glanced up at Grimmjow, "From someone really important." He said softly, squeezing the warm hand within his own.

Renji grinned knowingly before heading off to jump in the pool again, glad things were smoothed over now.

Ichigo leaned on Grimmjow, standing on his tip-toes to press a small kiss to his cheek before tugging him over to the lawn chairs so they could relax and snuggle.

Things were finally right in Ichigo's world, and he couldn't be happier.

* * *

><p>AN: AND IT'S DONE! That is my second GrimmIchi fic I actually finished! I am so proud of myself!*gives self uber hug*Anyways! Stay tuned to your favorite Wulfie for a sequel to this lovely story...LOVE YOU ALL!


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